An Altered State
by kslc19
Summary: RanmaScryed Crossover. Ranma joins HOLY to further his quest for vengeance (but not for a while, yet).


Ranma 1/2 and Scryed are properties of their respective owners.

CHAPTER ONE

Staring east at the glow of bonfires mingling with the setting sun, Ranma turned to his father and said, "The action's getting closer, Pop."

"Don't worry, boy," Genma replied. "We've dealt with it before."

"You mean I've dealt with it before. Where were you on the last one? I could've really used some help then."

"There were important matters that needed my attention. Just think of it as training."

"You mean that you were out getting drunk with Old Man Tendo while I watched the house alone," Ranma said. "Training, my ass. How the hell do you expect me to handle all these attacks by myself? Not that you're ever much help anyway."

"Show some respect, boy," Genma growled. "The School of Anything Goes is more than enough to handle any trouble you might come across here. Besides, isn't the Hibiki boy helping you?"

Ranma snorted. "When he's here. We don't call him the Lost Boy for nothing."

Just then an explosion sounded much nearer than the others, only a few blocks from the dojo. A huge form rose over houses and trees, vaguely human-shaped with a large metallic bulbous body and swollen armlike appendages. As it began to send those arms crashing into the street below, Ranma dimly heard a voice bellowing, "Hammer!"

"Is it one of them controlling that thing? An Alter-user?" Genma asked. "I see someone on top."

"Looks like. You ready to roll, Pop? I'd rather not go solo on this one."

"Lead the way."

Bending his knees slightly, Ranma hopped onto the roof of the dojo and took a moment to make sure Genma did indeed seem prepared to follow. It wouldn't be the first time the old fool had double-crossed him.

"Wait, Ranma," a voice called from inside the house. "I'm going with you."

"Just stay here, Akane. I don't have time to babysit you."

"Now just a minute, Ranma. Don't you use that tone with -"

He leapt from the roof, not even bothering to see if Genma was behind him. He was sprinting as soon as he hit the ground, bearing for the sounds of the explosions. A moment later he sensed Genma to his left.

"You should not be speaking that way to your fiancee, boy."

"Stuff it, old man. You know what happened last time she went with us."

Genma was silent for a moment. "True," he said thoughtfully. "But nevertheless, as a man of the Saotome line, it is your duty to -"

"Save it, we're almost there." He leapt onto a nearby rooftop, barely avoiding a chunk of falling building that landed behind him.

"Stay alert," Genma cautioned from the ground.

"I don't need to hear that from you of all people. Who let those looters sneak into the house last night because he was passed out on the porch from drinking too much sake? Geez, you were even lying right in front of the door."

"Boy, is that anyway to speak to your father? I should go up there and teach you a lesson in respect."

"Yeah, I'd like to see you try."

"Alright, you asked for it," he said, bunching his legs beneath him. Ranma raised his arms in preparation, but as his father left the ground, a giant metal hand met him in midair and sent him crashing through a wall.

"Pop!" Ranma shouted. Genma emerged from the wreckage of the wall a short while later coughing and shaking his head to clear it.

"Hammer!" the huge form over him called.

"I'll show you a hammer," Ranma sneered. "Take this! Moko Takabisha!"

The sphere of energy slammed into the huge metal Alter, rocking it back but doing no visible damage. The fat man atop the Alter laughed wildly. "Hammer!"

"Shut up!" Ranma shouted. "Moko Takabisha!" The energy ball was much larger this time and the left the giant Alter stumbling. Finally, it crashed ponderously to the ground. Smirking, Ranma leapt in for the kill, bringing his fist down on the metal shell, expecting it to shatter. The impact nearly broke his hand. "What the hell is that thing made of?" he said in disbelief.

"Hammer!" Ranma sensed the attack a moment too late, and the oversized fist clipped him in the leg as he tried to escape, spinning him around wildly in the air several times before he landed heavily on his back. He quickly regained his senses and managed to roll out of the way a moment before a giant fist came down to crush him.

"You rely on those tricks too much," he heard Genma say. "Kijin Raishu Dan!" Ranma saw the vacuum blades speed over his head and strike the Alter in the arm and stomach, putting shallow cuts in both.

"I thought those were sealed techniques, old man!"

"My son, there is a time and place for everything," Genma replied solemnly before cutting loose another set of blades. The Alter rose its arms to block and suffered even deeper gouges. "Ha ha! Watch and learn boy, the greatest techniques of the Saotome school are at my command. Kijin Raishu Dan!"

This time the Alter, moving extremely quickly for its size, managed to dodge the telegraphed attack and, charging at Genma, swung its fists furiously into the ground, cratering the street and creating a shockwave that knocked the bulky martial artist back on his butt. Genma frantically tried to scoot away as the huge Alter approached to finish him off.

Damn, the clumsy fool, Ranma thought. I'm too far away to do anything. Then, spying some small bits of rubble nearby, he hefted one to test the weight and then launched it for where he guessed the Alter-user's head would be. He watched in satisfaction as it connected.

"Yeah, take that!" he shouted triumphantly.

He swallowed hard and began to backpedal as the Alter turned and began to give chase. "Hammer!"

"Shut up, will ya!" Ranma yelled as he ran. Well, he thought, I guess if the old man can unseal the sealed techniques, then it's okay for me, too. He slipped into the Umisenken andturned down a narrow alley, watching silently as his pursuer went bombing past. A short while later he quietly made his way back to the main road. The giant Alter was already several blocks away, swinging it's arms and shrieking like mad.

"Boy, where are you?" Genma called, walking cautiously up the street.

"Right here," Ranma said, releasing the Umisenken.

"You should not be using the sealed techniques so casually," Genma said disapprovingly.

"What? Didn't you use them earlier?"

"That was an emergency situation. Otherwise I would never -"

"What emergency?" Ranma snapped. "So you could show off? Look around! Are there any cute girls watching you?"

"Foolish boy! Of course not! How dare you suggest -"

"You two should get out of here," somebody called from behind them. Turning, Ranma saw a man close to his age with dark red hair and a tight-fitting leather vest standing a short distance away. "It could get dangerous," the man continued.

"Really? You think?" Ranma said, taking an exaggerated look at the destruction surrounding them.

The new figure growled menacingly. "Now look here -"

"Don't waste your time," Ranma interrupted. "We're doing fine."

"Fine for a couple of amateurs," he smirked. "I've been watching you two, you know. There's no way you can take the big guy. He even gives me trouble. You're both too weak. Especially the fat one."

"Why you," Genma growled.

"Who the hell are you, calling us weak?" Ranma snapped.

"I'm Kazuma. They call me the Shell Bullet."

Ranma stared at him blankly for a moment. "Fine, whatever," he said, shaking his head. "If you're not going to be serious, then forget I asked."

"What, you have a problem with my name?" Kazuma asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I don't have a problem with it. If you like people calling you a stupid name like that, then that's your business."

"I've had enough of you," Kazuma said darkly. He struck a dramatic pose, lowering his shoulders and thrusting his right arm out to the side.

Ranma rolled his eyes at the display, but then he took a guarded step back as the other man's hair stood up on end amidst a faintly multi-colored glow.

"What's the matter?" Kazuma asked as a yellow metallic exterior surrounded his right arm. The new appendage was all points and corners, with three sinuous fans projecting from the back. The effect was menacing. "You just got real quiet all of a sudden."

Ranma remained silent, shifting into a more defensive stance.

"Are you scared?" Kazuma continued. "You should be."

"Who'd be scared of that ugly thing?" Ranma asked.

"You mean this beauty?" Kazuma replied, patting his arm affectionately. "You won't be talking so big when it's smashing in your face."

Ranma smirked. "Why don't you try, then? You think I'd lose to something like that?"

"This Alter has ruined every enemy its faced. Except that bastard Ryuhou," he added, snarling. "And you're nothing compared to him, kid."

"Oh, I'm nothing?" Ranma narrowed his eyes. "Then why did you need to bring your friends to help you out?" he asked, pointing behind Kazuma.

"What?" Kazuma spun around, but he saw nothing but empty street. "What stupid games -" He was cut off as Ranma's fist nearly shattered his jaw. What the hell? he thought as he flew through the air. How did he move so fast? There's no way he could have reached me so quickly!

Ranma watched in satisfaction as the Alter-user finally rolled to a stop several dozen meters away. Guess I showed him, he thought smugly.

Kazuma slowly rose to his feet, shaking his head and rubbing his tender jaw. "What the hell was that cheap shot?" he said darkly.

"Cheap shot? I don't know what you're talking about. There's nothing cheap about taking advantage of an opponent's natural weaknesses." Ranma smirked. "And in your case, it's obviously your stupidi -"

"Shut up!" Kazuma roared. "That's it! Shogeki no -"

"That's enough, Kazuma," an unfamiliar voice said. Ranma turned to see a slightly older man wearing a dirty business suit emerge from behind a large pile of rubble. "We don't have time for this right now."

"But Kimishima, did you see that cheap -"

"Do you want the money or don't you?" Kimishima asked bluntly. "Think about Kanami-chan."

Kazuma seemed to deflate at that. "Yeah, you're right," he said. "I don't have time for this punk." He turned towards Ranma. "But don't you think this is finished yet." Ranma forced a wide yawn. "What's your name?" Kazuma growled.

"Ranma Saotome, of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts."

Kazuma stared at him a moment and then chuckled. "And you think my name is stupid?" Ranma opened his mouth angrily to respond, but Kazuma's Alter flared to life, silencing him. Ranma brought his arms up to guard, but Kazuma struck the ground instead, sending himself rocketing high into the air. He struck again as he landed on top of a building and continued in that manner until he was several blocks distant.

"Well, that's one way to do it, I guess," Ranma muttered, mentally comparing it to his own brand of roof-hopping.

"You said your name is Ranma Saotome?" the man named Kimishima asked him.

"Yeah, that's right. What's it to you?"

"Nothing really. But I've heard of you before, even if Kazuma hasn't. You've developed quite a reputation for yourself, almost as much as our Alter-using friend."

Ranma made a dismissive gesture. "Don't compare me to that freak of nature."

"Kazuma's not so bad," Kimishima said. "He has a...well...rather harsh exterior, I suppose, but he really has a kind heart."

"Yeah, whatever."

Kimishima shook his head. "Well, if you could see him with Kanami-chan, maybe then you'd understand. But enough about him. I have a proposition for you."

"Is that right?" Ranma asked warily.

"Like I said before, you have quite a reputation. By our count, you've defeated and subdued almost twenty native Alters. That's quite a feat for someone who has no apparent Alter ability of his own."

Ranma shrugged. "It's not like any of them can fight. Whether they have an Alter or not doesn't matter."

Kimishima raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Even someone like Big-kun over there?"

"He's just huge. That doesn't matter. Now, if he had octopus tentacles on his back..." Ranma shuddered, remembering his many run-ins with the Pantyhose-jerk.

"Well, then there are people like Kazuma and Ryuhou. Although, I suppose you have no reason to know Ryuhou. But he and Kazuma are the strongest on this island, and it's due to their Alters."

Ranma scowled. "On this island, or on this planet, there's only one strongest, and that's me. I'm Ranma Saotome, and I'm the best."

Genma came up behind him and smacked him sharply on the back of the head. "Foolish boy! Someday your arrogance will be your undoing."

Ranma shut him up by punting him through another wall. "No one asked you, old man!" He turned to Kimishima. "So what do you want?"

"I want you to work with Kazuma and -"

"No deal."

"Okay, then..." Kimishima said slowly, "you don't have to work with Kazuma if you don't want to. But my idea was to have you do the same kind of work. Round up out-of-control native Alter-users like Big-kun, there, or help us deal with those Mainland thugs that are trying to force us out of -"

Ranma raised a hand. "Sorry, but I'm busy enough here right now just trying to protect the Tendo Dojo. I'd like to help, but this is already a pretty full-time job."

"Of course, we would pay you generously -"

"Listen to your father, boy," Genma said, having reappeared by Ranma's side. "For the sake of the Art and your own training, I think it would be best if we accepted Kimishima-kun's offer and -"

Ranma punted him away again. "I thought I said to butt out!"

Kimishima shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I can't argue with a man that wants to protect his home. But if you change your mind, contact me." He handed Ranma a small business card.

Ranma nodded and watched as Kimishima walked away, disappearing around a corner. A few moments later, a strange-looking yellow car emerged from behind the building and sped off in the direction that Kazuma had gone.

When the car was out of sight, Ranma glanced idly down at the business card in his hand. It was simple - a name and a phone number. He prepared to toss it into the wind, but Genma quickly snatched it away, stowing it safely in his gi. "Don't be so hasty, boy. You don't know when we might need this."

"We won't need it, Pop. I can't be everywhere at once. The dojo is more important. Maybe if I could count on you to help occasionally, then I wouldn't need to be there around the clock."

He stopped talking as a large vehicle, nearly the size of a bus, approached them. The windows were tinted, but as it passed, he could see the HOLD and HOLY insignia painted on the side.

"I was waiting for them to show up," Ranma said softly. He had never personally encountered the anti-Alter force manned by Alter-users, but he had seen them in action, and their methods were, to his eyes, impressively unforgiving.

"It looks like the show's over," Genma said, putting a hand on his son's shoulder. Ranma nodded. They both knew what it meant when HOLY appeared - a quick, brutal end to the action. But as usual, they would arive too late to prevent the destruction of homes and property that had become common in recent weeks.

Genma leapt up to the rooftops, ready to make his way back, but Ranma remained on the ground, listening to the sounds of fighting in the distance. "You coming boy?"

Ranma looked up at him and shook his head. "I'm going to check out the fighting."

"That's none of our business," Genma said. "We've protected the dojo. Besides, I'm hungry. Kasumi should have dinner ready by now, and -"

"Fine, go stuff your face, old man. But I want to see how they take on that big Alter. I'll be back late, so don't wait up." With that, he leapt away, ignoring Genma's calls.

Moving across the rooftops at a quick pace, he tried to ignore the decimation around him and approached the scene of the fighting within a few minutes. As the sounds of combat grew more intense, he stopped and slipped into the Umisenken, thinking sneaky thoughts the rest of the way.

He stopped when he ran out of rooftops and, peering over the edge, saw two figures fighting amidst the wreckage of neighboring buildings, one wearing the purple and white uniform of HOLY. Several other HOLY members were assembled nearby, watching silently by the glow of floodlights mounted atop their transport vehicle. There was no sign of the giant Alter that had brought them there.

Ranma watched the battle closely but could not identify either of the fighters. Casting about for a closer vantage point, he saw that every building closer to the fight had already been destroyed. There were still many piles of debris, though, some as tall as a house. Sighing, he vaulted over the edge of the roof and fell five stories down, landing without a sound. Making his way past the HOLY transport to one of the largest rubble piles, easily the height of the Tendo Dojo, he climbed, careful of any loose stones that might reveal him, and seated himself with his legs crossed at the summit.

Now that he was closer, he could see that one of the fighters was Kazuma, and he looked to be in bad shape. He was panting heavily, and his Alter was hanging lifelessly at his side. The other man, the HOLY Alter-user, seemed as though he had yet to move an inch since the fight began. His uniform was spotless, and his face was cold and without emotion. Another smaller figure stood between them. From its inhuman appearance, Ranma deduced that it was an Alter.

As he watched, they came together again - Kazuma and the strange Alter. Whip-like attachments emerged from the Alter's back and attacked relentlessly. Kazuma tried to dodge, but in his tired state he could not completely avoid taking hits.

"Ryuhou, you bastard," he said as he stumbled to one knee. Ranma noted the fire in his eyes and nodded approvingly, despite himself.

"I expected more from you," the one called Ryuhou said. "Is this the best you have? I haven't even unlocked Zetsuei yet."

"Shut up!" Kazuma yelled.

Near to where he was seated, Ranma could hear the other HOLY members talking quietly amongst themselves. "It's always the same," one of them, a small girl with blue hair, said. "That native Alter always tries to fight Ryuhou, but he -"

"Gets his butt handed to him everytime," another one, a fat man eating watermelon, finished.

"What else would you expect, Sherrice-san," a third, a young man idly juggling several green orbs, said. "Is there any reason to think that a native Alter as simple-minded as this one could ever stand a chance against the strongest Alter-user in HOLY?"

"Of course not, Tachibana," Sherrice said. "That's not what I'm saying. I just don't understand why they're always fighting, that's all. You'd think he would learn his lesson and stop challenging Ryuhou like this."

"Who cares?" the fat one said between bites. "It's fun to watch. I'm just glad that Ryuhou's on our side."

The other two nodded in agreement. Ranma suddenly found himself with a strong urge to fight.

"Still, we should not underestimate Kazuma," Tachibana said. "He did defeat my Eternal Eight, after all."

"Don't give him so much credit. It was probably just a fluke," Sherrice said.

Tachibana shrugged. "Perhaps. Certainly, I would notbe the first to sing his praises. But he is strong. Not like Ryuhou, but in his own way."

The others looked at him like he was crazy, and Ranma turned his own attention back to the fight. He saw that Kazuma was nearly finished - he was having trouble even remaining on his feet.

Ranma smirked. Guess he was all talk, he thought. He watched as Ryuhou's Alter continued to pummel Kazuma and imagined all the ways in which he could easily defeat such an oppenent himself. Not like it's anything compared to Saffron, he thought, or even Herb.

Finally, Kazuma collapsed to the ground. Ryuhou watched a moment and, letting his Alter vanish, walked purposefully to his fallen enemy, grabbing him by the hair and jerking his head back to look him in the eyes. "I knew that you were never my rival, but this is poor, even for you. I suppose there's nothing to do but drag your sorry carcass back to Captain Jigmar. I'm sure he has some plans for you."

That doesn't sound too good, Ranma thought. Well, I guess it's time to step in and save the day. He found a rock lying beside him and silently whipped it at the HOLY Alter-user. Ryuhou sensed it long before it reached him, though, and casually raised a hand to catch it. "Show yourself," he said loudly, looking directly at Ranma's concealed position.

A moment before he could release the Umisenken, Kazuma roared to life, bringing his Alter up into Ryuhou's gut and doubling the over man over. Ryuhou keeled over to the ground as the others rushed to his aid.

Ranma silently berated himself. Stupid, he told himself, you know you don't interfere in another person's fight. Even though Kazuma looked like he was finished. What would the old man say? Well, who the hell cares what that fool would say? Ranma knew the truth, though. He hadn't been looking to interfere in Kazuma's fight - he had been looking to make it his own.

He silently relocated while everyone focused on Kazuma, who chose to flee rather than face the other HOLY members in his weakened state. A familiar yellow car sped recklessly towards them and, pausing only a moment to allow Kazuma to get in, spun hard in the other direction and flew away under pursuit from the two men. The girl, Sherrice, remained behind to check on Ryuhou, but he shrugged her off, rising to his hands and knees and coughing violently.

"Don't worry about me," he rasped harshly. "And don't worry about Kazuma. Fine the coward who threw that rock!"

Thinking only sneaky thoughts, Ranma made his way quickly back to the Tendo Dojo and his long overdue evening meal.

END CHAPTER ONE

I don't have access to my Scryed anime, so I'm operating only on my memory of the series, which I watched last almost two years ago. Feel free to email corrections to any details I screwed up, as I'm sure there are many. Same for Ranma. Email address is in the profile. Created using Microsoft Notepad.


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